With this season’s fixtures announced earlier this morning, QPR MAD has taken a look at the line-up that lye’s ahead of the Superhoops.
We kick off our return to the 1st division, or should I say Championship, on Saturday August 7th at home to Rotherham United.
After anticipating one of the bigger clubs in the division for our season opener it was unsurprising to find we had been pitted against one of the most unglamorous sides in the league. No disrespect to Rotherham but they aren’t your West Ham or Leeds of the league. With Ronnie Moore still in charge at Millmoor you can guarantee we won’t be in for an easy ride. In fact the last time Rotherham began their season in London (last season) they hammered FA Cup finalists Millwall 6-0! Rangers beware.
On the following Tuesday we face our first away game. Vicarage Road will host our trip to Watford in mid-week. Hopefully by then we may have snapped up two former Hornets’- Lee Cook and Micah Hyde. Richard Johnson (currently out-of-contract) and Chris Day be other ex-players in the Rangers ranks keen to impress at their old stomping grounds.
Rangers then face a tough trip north to face Mick McCarthy’s Sunderland in the Stadium of Light on Saturday 14th August.
Leicester, Coventry and Sheffield United will have turned up at Loftus Road in the first couple of months, as supporters will start to feel at home again in the surroundings of the Championship.
Things start spicing up in mid-October and November when the R’s face home and away fixtures against West Ham along with battles against relegated Leeds (Elland Road), Millwall and Cardiff (both home).
Boxing Day sees us take a long trip down to the South West again. Plymouth Argyle, last season’s Champions will be our opposition at Home Park. Maybe a spot of revenge for our defeat down there last April will be on the menu for Christmas.
2005 kick’s off on New Year’s day with a home game against Brighton. The other side who were also promoted last year via the playoffs.
Our run-in to the end of season does look a little on the tough side. April sees us travelling away to Sheffield and Wigan; Cardiff away on the last game of the season (May 8th) and home ties against Sunderland, Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Gillingham leave a lot to be desired. Hopefully come April we will have already embedded ourselves as Champions...I wish.
On the overall look of the fixture card I have no complaints just pure curiosity on why and how the computer manager to throw up to games with the Hammers in a just over a month. Despite that strange circumstance the fixtures are now out and the dates set (although subject to change), all that’s left is to see when our games are live on SKY and getting pre-season out of the way- starting with Nairn County.
We have short guide to our first opposition Nairn County under the "Will you go to..." heading under the header of "Matchday" to keep you entertained.
44 days until the season gets under way!
Come on U R’s!